With This Ring
by Rivendell101
Summary: "I wasn't going to do this today, but then you left me alone with the guy selling candy, and I saw it and thought 'hey! This seems like a great idea! No way this can backfire on me' and so I bought three jawbreakers, a box of twizzlers and this—" A carnival date, a spur of the moment decision, and a purple ring pop. Lucy wouldn't have it any other way.


**With this Ring**

* * *

It's quiet. Like, really, really quiet, which is weird for a carnival. Usually there's loud music and even louder people on rides screaming and laughing and having fun—not that he blames them for having fun. Sometimes there are even fireworks! So it's really strange—and kind of creepy—how silent things are once the sun begins to go down, but he can't say he doesn't like it. And that's saying a lot, considering how he feels about carnivals and fairs.

Natsu hates carnivals. He really, _really_ hates them. It's too crowded and he can't do rides because of his motion sickness, which is probably the worse part, because that's one of the main reasons you go to a carnival to begin with. Well, that and the food. Funnel cake is his best friend and he has no regrets about eating three of them. At least, not today he doesn't. The funnel cake will probably come back to bite him in the ass tomorrow.

The games can be fun, but at the end of the day they're just a waste of money and the prizes aren't worth it (one time he won a fish though! Then Happy ate it, so that sucked). Most of them are just oversized teddy bears that just waste space and stare at you from across the room.

The bear freaked out him and Lucy so much that he got rid of it. And by "got rid of" he means "gave to Wendy", but then he felt bad about giving the creepy ass bear to Wendy, so he stole it back and put it in Gajeel's kitchen while he was sleeping.

That was a fun day!

Another thing he hates about carnivals is the cotton candy. Frankly, he thinks it tastes gross. Really gross. It's just straight sugar that looks like a colorful cloud. It doesn't actually taste good, people are just lying to themselves. And little kids are always tugging at his hair because it reminds them of the disgusting, sticky, sugar thing, or getting it caught in his hair some way or another! It's a real pain to get out too, but he sure as hell isn't going to cut his hair and let the gross fluff win!

Stupid, fluffy Satan!

And what he really doesn't like is that it seems like every time he looks away, he loses Lucy in the crowd because she's short and just slips away from him when he's distracted by something else. (Admittedly he probably shouldn't lose track of people at a theme park, because that sounds like the beginning of a missing persons documentary—but theme parks were literally designed to distract people!) It sucks! Losing Lucy in a crowd is not something he wants to do. Actually, it's kind of the opposite of what he wants to do. He kind of wants to keep her around forever. Or, for however long she'll have him, anyway. Which is probably why he's about to do something really stupid and spur of the moment— _because this is_ _definitely not_ what he had planned an hour ago, but then Lucy left him alone with a guy selling candy _and what can you do!_

He's still a child at heart, sue him! There are three things he will always— _always_ freak out about: candy, puppies, and Lucy in nothing at all.

Lucy gives his hand a squeeze, and he snaps out of his thoughts, nearly forgetting how to breathe for several seconds. Way to act natural, Natsu. She totally won't notice you being weirder than usual!

He returns Lucy's squeeze twice as strong, linking his fingers through hers and shoving his free hand into his pocket. The package crinkles, but if Lucy notices she says nothing. Not that she would say anything about a wrapper making noise. It's not suspicious at all.

In fact, the only thing acting suspicious is him, but he can't help it! This could go horribly wrong and he could end up alone or she could laugh—oh god what if she laughs? No, what if _she leaves him!_

Natsu flinches at the that, but shakes his head quickly, trying to dispel the thought into the deepest crevice of his mind where it'll never come up again.

Alright, now he's just freaking himself out! Natsu takes a deep breath, trying to keep his hands from trembling as he and Lucy walk along the pier. His nerves of steel from moments ago seem to have vanished completely and he kind of wishes they had stuck around for the big moment.

He peeks down at Lucy, but she isn't looking at him. Her eyes are focused on the end of the pier, on the old carousel. The lights are still on, but it isn't spinning and the music isn't playing, so he wonders what caught her attention. He inhales sharply when it hits him, and a smile pulls at his lips.

It's just like Lucy to be sentimental like that.

"Tonight was fun," she tells him, tugging her hand away from his, only to wrap her arm around him instead. Her fingers curl against his shirt and he laughs, his nerves melting away.

"Yeah, it was," he replies, tossing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his side. "I especially liked the part where I threw up after we went on the tilt-a-whirl. Twice," he jokes.

She laughs, catching his dangling fingers in her free hand and tangling them together. "Well, that was your own fault for eating so much funnel cake," she teases him, tilting her head back look up at him. "Besides, I don't think you were too sick, considering you went back to get _more_ funnel cake."

He shrugs, tossing his free hand into the air. "I can't help it! It's just so good!" She giggles and he has to stop himself from kissing her right there in front of everyone. Not that they would care, but he doesn't need a bunch of angry parents yelling at him for "corrupting their children!" It's kissing, not running naked through the park, calm down!

She tugs at his fingers. "I could tell, considering you ate one, threw it up and then went back for more. It must be the best funnel cake to ever exist." He doesn't have to look to know she's smiling at him, and he can't keep the smile off his own face.

"Hey, I don't judge you for your life's choices!"

She slides out from under his arm and grabs his hands in hers, leading him down the pier backwards. "That's because I make good one's!" Lucy taunts releasing his hands. Natsu sends her an offended look before smiling and making a grab for her. She laughs, dancing out of his reach and turning on her heel, taking off down the dock.

"Lucy, come back!" he laughs, taking off after her. He catches up quickly and snakes his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning the two of them around. They probably look like a pair of goofy teenagers (as opposed to a pair of goofy adults—well, more like an adult-and-a-half, because he's still a kid at heart and always will be), but he doesn't even care. He's happy and Lucy's happy, and isn't that really all that matters?

"Natsu, put me down!" she laughs, squirming in his arms to try and escape. It's futile, of course. He's taller, bigger, and stronger than she is, so the only way for her to get out would be a well placed kick to the crotch, and he certainly hopes she won't resort to that.

"Hmm, let me think about it for a second." He pretends to think, even pulling a face despite her back being toward him. "Nope!" He places a wet kiss against her cheek and she shrieks, her shoulder jerking up and nearly smacking his chin. He snickers and sets her down anyway, but keeps his arms around her. Lucy turns in his arms and slips her arms around his neck, smiling up at him and shaking her head.

"You," she stresses, poking his neck with a finger, "are the biggest jerk I have ever met," she tells him. Natsu flinches as her fingers skim his neck again, tickling him. She snickers at his reaction— _sue him for being ticklish!_ —but doesn't do it again.

He can't wipe the goofy grin off his face. "Oh, is that so?" he asks sarcastically.

She nods, a mock serious look on her face. "Yeah." Her fingers twist around the hair at the back of his neck, tugging lightly. "It's very much so."

"And why's that?" he asks, playing along. He's kind of curious what she'll say, and he knows none of it will be too bad, considering he's awesome and all. And, no, he's totally not a narcissist, it's just true! That, and if Lucy really thought he was a jerk, she would leave him. Or kick him. Maybe both.

Lucy hums in thought, resting her chin against his chest, pretending to think. Natsu just shakes his head, placing a quick kiss against her temple. "Well, first of all, you leave your underwear all over the floor," she starts, sending him a glare. She's trying not to smile though, so he knows she's not really mad.

"You do that too!" he reminds, snickering.

"No, you _throw_ them on the floor," Lucy corrects. Natsu struggles not to laugh. "There's a difference." He starts to argue, but she covers his mouth with one hand. "Now where was I? Oh!" she gasps. "I know! Remember that time I bought us ice cream cones and you shoved mine into my face?"

He licks her hand, but she merely rolls her eyes and removes her hand—but not before smearing his spit across his cheek. Natsu makes a face as he wipes it off, but grins at her nonetheless. "That was a fun day," he tells her, giving her a cheeky grin. It melts off his face just as suddenly, a smaller, softer smile taking it's place. When he tries to speak, it comes out quieter than he was expecting. "That was the first time I told you I love you." His voice cracks and he winces, clearing his throat. "And I was so scared that you wouldn't say it back," he admits, laughing weakly. He can't bring himself to look her in the eyes, not yet. "I just blurted it out after shoving ice cream in your face, and I thought 'this is it, she's going to walk away and leave me.' "

Lucy's hands slide up to his cheeks and she lifts his head to meet her eyes. He's caught off guard by the tears shining in her eyes and the smile on her face, but before he can ask what's wrong, she starts talking. "I didn't walk away though," she reminds him, sniffing a little. "Instead, I took your cone and smashed it against your face," she giggles, thumb rubbing back and forth along his jaw. "Then, I kissed you before you even knew what was happening." One arm slips around his neck as she presses up on her toes, rising up as high as she can. "And then, I told you I love you, too."

He smiles and leans down, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. Literally. She tastes like funnel cake. Natsu laughs at the thought and has to pull back before he does something stupid like spit all over the place, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

Natsu glances around the pier, taking note of the lack of people around and the way the sunset looks against the water, and he knows he has to do this now or he never will. It's the perfect time and they're practically alone and they're right back where they started. This is where they met four years ago and that was the best day of his life. It was one of those moments he knew he would remember forever and he knows he's going to remember this moment forever, too.

No matter what happens he's going to remember it forever.

Natsu clears his throat and squeezes his eyes shut tightly, counting backwards from ten before opening them again. When he does, he finds Lucy blinking at him curiously, her head tilted to one side and her brows knitted together. The smile never leaves her though, and he hopes it never will.

His nerves are shot and his hands won't stop shaking, but he steels himself anyway, grabbing her hands in his and trying to look as serious as possible without looking like he's trying to break up with her—or heading to a funeral.

"Natsu?" Lucy says his name like a question, leaving it hanging in the air.

"Alright, this is probably going to sound cheesy and stupid, but I'm just going to say it anyway!" He gives her hands another squeeze. "From the moment we met and you threw me off the pier, I knew I was going to fall in love with you and it was only a matter of time." Lucy laughs, looking mildly embarrassed at the mention of their first official meeting (you know, the first time they actually talked, as apposed to all the times he just stared at her slack jawed from across the dock). He had walked up behind her as she was writing right on this very dock and scared her half to death. Her logical response was to actually lift him off the ground and throw him into the ocean.

He fell in love right then.

Natsu laughs with her, his serious expression melting into a megawatt grin that he doesn't bother to wipe off his face. "And I was right," he murmurs, linking their fingers. "We've been dating for three years now and in that time you've become my best friend—my _rock_ when I need you most, and that's all I could ever ask for. There's no going back for me—no walking away." He releases one of her hands to run his fingers through his hair. His palms feel sweaty and gross and he kind of hopes that she doesn't notice.

He takes a deep breath. "I know your favorite color is lilac, even though I honestly can't tell the difference between that and any other shade of purple." She giggles at that, but he's not finished yet. "I know you only drink green tea before three in the afternoon and won't drink chamomile until after five. You don't like coffee and you hate _The Notebook_ , but you love applesauce and you talk in your sleep." He chuckles a little, sending her a fond look. "You like to dance around the apartment to The Backstreet Boys while I'm gone and you always hide _every single one_ of my left shoes on the first Wednesday of every month because I always forget that I have the day off."

Wait, where was he going with all of this? He had a point in their somewhere, but it kind of got lost in him gushing over how _damn_ much he loves this girl. Great. And now she's just staring at him and he has no idea what to say—and you know what? He probably should have thought this through just a little bit more, because this is probably not something he should be spontaneous about—because all of his "spontaneous" plans always end up with him covered in maple syrup or in jail (one time it was both!) and he can't afford to go to jail today!

"Oh my god," he groans, rubbing his hand down the side of his face and releasing the most god-awful dying whale sound he's ever made. Lucy bursts into laughter, unable to compose herself as she doubles over, clutching her stomach with both hands. Natsu kind of wants to die right now, but he needs to finish this first. "Lucy!" Natsu whines. "Stop laughing! This isn't funny!" He waves his hands around between them and Lucy just starts wheezing, tears in her eyes.

He groans again, this time in absolute mortification and Lucy manages to sober herself, biting her lip to hold back a laugh. "I'm sorry," she apologizes, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist, giving him a tight squeeze. She giggles a little as his arms slide around her in return. "I'm really sorry for laughing, but what the hell was that? You were all serious and sweet and then _that noise_." She leans forward and presses her mouth to his shoulder, no doubt smothering a laugh.

Natsu scoffs and untangles himself from her, sending her a mock angry look. The smile doesn't leave him though. "You know what," he raises his voice in mock exasperation, "I tried okay!" He pulls the package out of his pocket with a loud crinkling sound and sinks down onto one knee, practically fighting with the wrapping. "I wasn't going to do this today, but then you left me alone with the guy selling candy, and I saw it and thought 'hey! This seems like a great idea! No way this can backfire on me!' and so I bought three jawbreakers, a box of twizzlers and _this_ —"

He cuts himself off as the thing rips open loudly. Smiling triumphantly up at her, he holds out the purple candy ring. By this point, Lucy has her hands over her mouth and tears running down her face, and he honestly can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad thing at the moment. "I was going to wait until I had a real ring and I could do this the right way," he tells her, voice cracking at the end. "I was going to wait," he repeats, "but then I realized that I was tired of waiting and this seemed like the perfect moment." He laughs softly—awkwardly. "And I'm never going to get a more perfect moment than this and where we're standing right now."

Because they're standing on a pier and the lights are reflecting off the water in the most amazing ways, and it smells like saltwater and funnel cake (and he already vomited on her once today, so it's not like it can get much worse), and he wouldn't have them any other way.

He looks up at her with honest eyes. "So, with this Ring Pop, I'm asking you, Lucy Heartfilia, to marry me and be with me always." She doesn't move, and he can't say he blames her. "I'm sure this is nothing like you would ever expect, but I hope you'll say yes anyway."

Lucy stays quiet for a long time, silent tears trailing down her cheeks and her eyes wider than he's ever seen them before, her pupils blown large. His panic spikes when she doesn't say anything, and he feels like he's been sucker punched in the gut and left on the side of the road (which happened once during spring break of his Junior year of college, but that's another story. In hindsight, a road trip with Gray, Gajeel, Jellal, Laxus, and Bixlow was a bad idea.)

Rejection sucks. Especially a marriage rejection, because where do they go from here? How do they just fall back into place like nothing happened? Oh shit, what if they—

Lucy cuts him off with a shuddery breath, her hands trembling as they fall back to her sides, but a soft smile on her lips. "You're right," she whispers, still crying. "It's not what I would every have expected out of a proposal." His heart sinks into his stomach as she laughs. "But it is so _you_ and I wouldn't have you any other way."

Natsu releases a breath he didn't know he was holding, laughing lightly in shock. "Is that a yes?" he asks her, smiling.

Lucy nods several times, almost erratically. "Give me the candy ring, Dummy," she whispers to him, affection in the words.

He practically lunges to his feet, catching her around the waist on his way up and lifting her clear off the ground, laughing into her shoulder as he buries his face into her. He's pretty sure he can hear her heart beating out of control as he spins they around, but that might just be his own pulse flooding his ears. He can't tell the difference and he doesn't really care at this point. He's just so damn happy and he's pretty sure the smile isn't going to leave his face for at least a week.

Placing her back on her feet, Natsu tucks Lucy against his chest, catching her left hand in his and slipping the white, plastic ring over her finger, the purple candy looking dark and pretty against the pier lights.

Lucy smiles up at him for a moment before studying the ring. She squints at it, raising it to her lips and gives it a quick lick. "Hmm," she hums in thought, head tilting to one side. "Is this grape?" she asks absentmindedly.

"Ooh," Natsu reaches for her hand, "can I taste?" he jokes.

Lucy looks at him like he's just confessed to murdering her grandmother. "No," she says, shaking her head and looking absolutely offended. "You can't stick my two dollar—"

"A dollar fifty, actually."

"—engagement ring in your mouth" she finishes, seemingly ignoring him as she holds the candy protectively against her chest.

He tries not to laugh. "But you can?" he asks, scoffing a little. "That just doesn't seem fair, Lucy."

"You bought it for me," she sings back, holding her hand out of his reach as he yanks her close. "Gah! Natsu, no!" She laughs, struggling to keep the candy away from him, knowing fully well that his arms are longer than hers. "Natsu!" she giggles. "Natsu, stop! This ring has to last until the wedding! You can't eat it!"

He jerks her around and presses his lips to hers sloppily, smiling against her as she rights their mouths, arms looping around his neck as she presses up on her toes, fingers tugging at his hair. He kisses her harder, his head practically spinning. Natsu's teeth nip her lower lip and she breaks away, breathing heavy as she rests her head against his collarbone, one of her hands slipping down to his chest, playing with the collar of his shirt. His arms wrap around her back, fingers tracing small circles against her spine gently.

Natsu's lips curve up at the edges.

"You're right, it is grape."

* * *

AN: Sorry I've been gone for so long! I hope to start updating my longer fics sometime soon! I hope you enjoyed this short :)


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